In a world where so many things are possible and man has supposedly been to the moon, why do so many people still struggle to use basic manners? Why is a smile perfected in a social media selfie but not in person? When did saying ‘please,’ ‘thank you’ and smiling become such a huge effort? It’s no surprise that one simple smile, even from a stranger, can lift your whole day and a frown can drag down your mood, they have huge effects on people around you, and those frowns aren’t fun.
On a recent trip to a shop I noticed this definitely was the case, but I had noticed it in other places before too. A friendly man served me and when he needed help from someone else she seemed less than impressed. Even though I was delayed at the till as the man waited for assistance, I was a lot happier there chatting to him than I was leaving after staring at a miserable face that didn’t even try to smile, say hello and made it completely obvious that she didn’t want to be there. The help he got sure made the queue move quicker but it also brought down the moods of everyone waiting because one persons negative energy hit us all. All of a sudden, I wasn’t looking forward to eating my purchases anymore and the hunger was taken over by annoyance. Why can’t people just be nice?
Weeks before this I had witnessed a woman rudely raising her voice to a sales assistant because she couldn’t help her. This wasn’t the sales assistants fault, if she isn’t allowed to do something without the mangers help because it’s a shop rule, she shouldn’t have to be humiliated in front of a line of people and reduced to the point of tears. She’s there to pay her bills, not to purposely be out to get you.
I know people can be having a bad day, but isn’t there a point where being in a bad mood around others just turns into pure ignorance? Yes, I believe so. You may be annoyed about a situation or just in a bad mood but try not to let it have a knock on effect on people who may be having a bad enough day already. I get really annoyed when I meet people who seem to lack basic manners. Did you not learn those before anything else? Do you not realise you could be hurting someone who is fighting a battle you know nothing about? I once smiled at an older lady I had never met and she stopped me to tell me how it made her day because nobody had taken the time to smile at her yet on that particular day. I think that just proves the power behind a single smile.
Bad moods don’t make bad people, but a bad attitude can often mask the good in you. I’m not saying you need to buy flowers for every person you meet, but it wouldn’t hurt you to stop and smell the roses once in a while! Always remember, it’s nice to be nice 🙂
